Herrington to speak at NJ rip current awareness event

Press conference, demonstration will inform public of rip current threat

Thomas Herrington, Associate Professor for Civil, Environmental, and Ocean Engineering Department at Stevens Institute of Technology and Coastal Processes Specialist for the New Jersey Sea Grant Extension program, will be among the coastal experts presenting remarks at
"Give the Rip the Slip," a rip current awareness press conference and demonstration on June 30. The event will be held beachside at Webster Avenue by the Lifeguard Headquarters, Seaside Heights, N.J.

As the July Fourth holiday approaches, thousands of beachgoers will flock to the Jersey Shore. While successful initiatives, including the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium's (NJMSC) Rip Current Sign Project, have been launched to make the public aware of the danger of rip currents, recent news stories have sadly illustrated they can still pose a serious and potentially deadly threat to swimmers. This press event is being held to remind people to swim safely and to demonstrate how a swimmer can escape if caught in a rip current.

In addition to Herrington, who has helped develop the Rip Current Sign Project, the event will include brief remarks from Dr. Michael Weinstein, President and CEO of NJMSC, and Nancy Byrne, Executive Director of the New Jersey Department of Travel and Tourism, one of the project partners. United States Lifesaving Association- (USLA) certified lifeguards from Seaside Heights will also demonstrate steps swimmers can take if they do find themselves caught in a rip current.

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The Rip Current Awareness initiative represents a collective effort that includes the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium, New Jersey Sea Grant, Stevens Institute of Technology, The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Coastal Management Program , The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management, The New Jersey Office Department of Transportation Office of Maritime Resources, New Jersey Office of Travel and Tourism, The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service (NOAA/NWS), and the United States Lifesaving Association (USLA).

About Stevens Institute of TechnologyEstablished in 1870, Stevens offers baccalaureate, masters and doctoral degrees in engineering, science, computer science, management and technology management, as well as a baccalaureate in the humanities and liberal arts, and in business and technology. Located directly across the Hudson River from Manhattan, the university has enrollments of approximately 1,780 undergraduates and 2,700 graduate students, and a current enrollment of 2,250 online-learning students worldwide. Additional information may be obtained from its web page at www.Stevens.edu.